GATTACA Discussion Questions
1. The film starts with two quotes that are 180 degrees apart. Here they are:
"Consider God's handiwork; who can straighten what He hath made crooked?" – Ecclesiastes 7:13
(The Bible)
"I not only think that we will tamper with Mother Nature, I think Mother wants us to." - Willard Gaylin
(American Psychiatrist)
Explain the significance of these two quotes as they relate to this film.
The first quote would have us leave things alone, regardless of the
fact that we have the ability to change. The second quote supports
the idea of people using knowledge to impact their everyday lives,
even though we may not know the consequences.
2. When Vincent was born and the DNA from his blood was analyzed the nurse indicated the probability of a
variety of things (all bad) that would happen to Vincent. What things did Vincent have to overcome?
1. Neurological Condition: 66%
2. Manic Depression: 42 %
3. ADD: 86 %
4. Heart Disorder: 99 %
5. Early Fatal Potential /Life Expectancy: 30.2 yrs.
Vincent was a “faith birth” (just like you and me) and as such,
received a random selection of genes from his parents. In addition to
the above probable physical outcomes, Vincent had to overcome
prejudice and inequality not only from society but from his own
family. In an effort to achieve his goals, he had to do something
illegal and live someone else’s life; a “borrowed ladder”, or to live as
a “degenerate”
3. What was different about how Vincent’s brother came into being? What was the significance of his being
named “Anton”?
Anton was the result of invitro fertilization, whereby the sperm is
injected into the egg, and then implanted in the uterus where the
embryo completes its development.
Notice there were 4 “candidates” they could choose from, and each
was engineered to represent “the best” of each of the parents.
Anton was named so, to carry on the family tradition; something that
Vincent’s father thought he was worthy of (as opposed to his first
born son).
4. Why do you think the writer/director chose the name “GATTACA” for this film, and for the place where
Vincent worked?
The letters G, A, T and C are the four bases in DNA. The sequence of
your DNA is what determines whether or not you are afforded
certain privileges or not.
5. In the society of the future, people were classified as being “valid” or “invalid”. Look up the real
definitions of these words in the dictionary and comment below how these words have been applied to
members of society.
•
Describe briefly what being born into each category would mean for that individual.
val·id
1: having legal efficacy or force; especially : executed with the proper
legal authority and formalities <a valid contract>2 a: well-grounded or
justifiable : being at once relevant and meaningful <a valid
theory> b: logically correct <a valid argument> <valid inference>
Note the symbol for infinity
here. This implies the
“infinite” potential that valids
have.
Being born a “valid” meant an automatic advantage in the world. It
opened doors that would be closed to others. You were viewed as an
elite person who was better than others simply based on an
interpretation of your DNA. Valids would have the most important,
prestigious jobs in the world and would belong to their own self
appointed club.
in·val·id
Latin invalidus weak, from in- + validus strong — more at VALID
: not valid: a: being without foundation or force in fact, truth, or law
<an invalid assumption> <declared the will invalid> b: logically
inconsequent
Note the dagger symbol
here. In classifying living things, a
dagger next to an animal’s name
implies extinction.
de·gen·er·ate
1 a. become less specialized: having declined or (as in nature, character,
structure, or function) from an ancestral or former state b: having sunk
to a condition below that which is normal to a type; especially
: having sunk to a lower and usually corrupt and vicious
Invalids would be born with “two strikes” against them; immediately
being put into a lower caste system that would allow them to go only
so far. A place like GATTACA would never have hired Vincent,
although he clearly had the intelligence and qualifications to be
there; despite having the supposed defects listed above in number 1.
Not only would invalids be discriminated against in the job place, but
they would be generally looked down upon and not even have the
same civil liberties as valids. Note how the police lined up people
randomly and took their blood when they were looking for Vincent.
Also remember how Jerome was able to avoid closer questioning by
the police officer because he was a “valid”.
•
Do we have anything that resembles such labeling of people today? Explain.
Unfortunately, yes. We judge people using stereotypes, and treat
them with prejudice, discrimination and intolerance. These attitudes
are based on things that don’t seem to make sense (the color of one’s
skin, their religion, their gender) but the attitudes are strong.
It is ironic that in the future world portrayed in the film that all
of these things become unimportant (as they should be), but instead,
you are judged by your genes.
6. There were a variety of “valids” that were supposedly born superior, yet still had flaws. For each “valid”
character, explain their shortcomings.
• Anton : although he was a high ranking detective,
he lacked the physical stamina of his so called
weaker brother.
• Irene: had a heart problem. She still got into
GATTACA but she was clearly not treated equally
by the mission director. Remember how she was
asked to assist in the investigation thereby putting her own
work on hold.
• Jerome: Although he was an Olympic athlete, he
could not accept defeat on any level. This
bothered him to the point that he attempted
suicide but failed, only to live as a bitter, depressed alcoholic.
Even the close relationship he formed with Vincent was not
enough to prevent him from committing suicide.
• The surviving mission director: He was the one
responsible for the murder of the other director.
Although he prided himself as “not having a
violent bone in his body” his motive to kill
someone was driven by the thought of the Titan mission being
cancelled. Because of his profile, he was not even considered a
suspect.
7. What was the purpose of the kiosk Irene went to with Vincent’s hair? What were other people doing there?
Would you use such a service if it were available?
Irene took “Vincent’s” hair to be analyzed by a service that provided
a genetic profile of a person. Imagine someone obtaining a hair from
you, having you profiled, and then making a judgment about you
based on an interpretation of your DNA; an interpretation that may
not reflect anything of value about who you really are.
8. Discuss at least FOUR preparations Vincent had to do every day to pass as Jerome Morrow at GATTACA.
In each case, explain WHY he had to do each preparation.
1. Urine pouch on thigh for frequent substance test
2. Blood filled false finger tips to be admitted into GATTACA
3. Obsessive scrubbing of the body in a shower that burned the
physical evidence of his true self.
4. Planting samples of Eugene’s tissues in and around his work
area.
9. VINCENT: "For one reason or another, when a member of the elite falls on hard times, their genetic
identity becomes a valid commodity for the unscrupulous." What happened in this film to demonstrate what
Vincent was talking about.
The real Jerome Morrow was a valid, Olympic athlete who sold his
identity to Vincent to pass for someone he was not. Vincent could
never have gotten into GATTACA even though he could pass the
intellectual, academic and physical requirements.
10. What was ironic about the pianist in the film?
The pianist had one extra finger on each hand
(polydactyl). He was clearly accepted by society
because of this musical talent but one must
wonder if he was a valid or an invalid because this condition is a
mutation.
11. Why do you think Lamar’s son was a “big fan” of Vincent?
(Lamar was the doctor)
Lamar probably told his son about Vincent as a way to keep his son
motivated and not give up on his dreams. Lamar knew Vincent was
faking it all along but felt empathy for him, because his own son did
not meet the requirements to get into GATTACA
12. Discuss the significance of the structure of the STAIRCASE in the home Vincent shared with Jerome in
terms of the theme of this film.
The staircase resembles the helix of DNA
FOR 13 through 16, answers will vary based on your personal
interpretation of the questions.
17. “It is said that with great power comes great responsibility.” Apart from being a good quote from the
movie Spiderman, how does this sentiment apply to our knowledge of genetics and how we use that
knowledge?
Although we have cracked the code of life and have learned many
things about how life works, we are still in our infancy regarding the
link between DNA and the finished product. We must resist the urge
to take the knowledge we have and use it in ways that do not benefit
the individual or society.
18. Explain what the following statement means to you. “There is no gene for the human spirit”
A human being is more than just the sum of its individual parts. We
are more than just a series of letters along a chain. The human spirit,
or will to achieve things has been shown over history to accomplish a
great many things. We can look at our own history and see many
examples of people; leaders, artists, and intellectual minds that
would never have achieved such feats in the “new and improved”
society portrayed in the film, because they may never have been
born.
19. What parts of this film do you think were completely fictional (as of right now)?
What parts were true in terms of what we can do now?
FICTION: We can not tell what the probable outcome is for the
things mentioned in number 1 at the time of birth. Although we have
machines that can sequence DNA, they can not provide reliable
predictions and / or interpretations of what those sequences mean.
FACT: In vitro fertilization, genetic tests for certain disease causing
genes (Cystic Fibrosis, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s disease to
name a few.)
POSSIBILITY: People’s genetic profiles becoming public
information that may be used against you by potential employers,
insurance companies or even the government.
Some interesting trivia from the movie
1. The name "Gattaca" is composed entirely of the letters used to label the nucleotide bases of DNA. The four nitrogen
bases of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) are adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine
2. Public address announcements in the Gattaca Corporation headquarters building are in Esperanto, an artificial
language invented in the 19th century.
3. The winding stairs in Jerome's apartment have a helical structure, like DNA.
4. Uma Thurman's character is named Irene Cassini. Cassini is the surname of the 17th century Italian astronomer,
Giovanni Domenico Cassini, who discovered the prominent gap in Saturn's main rings, as well as the icy moons,
Iapetus, Dione, Rhea, and Tethys. The space mission in Gattaca is destined for Saturn. In 1997, NASA launched the
Cassini space probe bound for Saturn. It carried the Huygens space probe, which was dropped into Titan in early 2005,
and discovered ground under the clouds. Recent experiments suggest that amino acids could form on the surface and
along with presence of adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine: the building blocks of DNA.
5. Jude Law's character asks to be called by his middle name, Eugene. "Eugene" comes from the Greek for "well born,"
which he is. "Eugenics" (the science of improving the hereditary qualities of a race or breed) is the central theme of the
film.
6. The Marin County Civic Center, filming location of the Gattaca Corporation, was also used in George Lucas's THX
1138 (1971).
7. When Gattaca was first released, as part of a marketing campaign there were adverts for people to call up and have
their children genetically engineered. Thousands of people called, wanting to have their offspring genetically engineered
8. The piece played by the six-fingered pianist is based on Impromptu in G Flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3. by Franz Schubert
(1797 - 1828). However, the creators did a beautiful job embellishing the piece with additional notes/harmonies so that it
"can only be played with twelve [fingers]," as the Uma Thurman character notes.
9. The exterior shots of Ethan Hawke and Jude Law's apartment is actually the CLA (Classrooms, Laboratories, and
Administration) Building of Cal Poly Pomona by architect Antoine Predock.
10. The Gattaca building (SOME) interiors and exteriors) is, in reality, the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, CA.
It was designed by American star architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1957. The largest Wright design ever constructed, it
was largely built after his death in 1959. The central dome (prominent in the roof-cleaning scene) contains the county
library.
11. The FBI agents are called "Hoovers," a reference to legendary top-G-man J. Edgar Hoover, but also a clever
reference to a vacuum cleaner brand. There are numerous shots of vacuums being used to gather DNA evidence.
12. The film was shot under the title "The Eighth Day". This was a reference to the Biblical creation story, which states
that the earth was created in six days and on the seventh day, God rested. The original title implies the tampering of
man with what God has already made, and "The Eighth Day" is still the name of the center in the movie where the
children are engineered, as noted on the DVD deleted scenes. By the time the much-delayed release of the film came
around, a Belgian film, The Eighth Day (1996), had already been released in the US under the title "The Eighth Day".
Because of this, writer-director Andrew Niccol was forced to choose a new title for his film.
13. Many of the "futuristic" buildings in the film are actually quite old. Many of these represent a type of postmodern
architecture called "brutalism", which was popular in the 1950s. The two massive arches seen behind Jerome and Irene
during their talk are actually the spillway of the Sepulveda Dam in Los Angeles, which was built in the 1930s.
14. While it has been identified that "GATTACA" uses the 4 DNA nucleotide abbreviations of G,A,T,C, more specifically,
when identifying genetic markers, the tests measure "short tandem repeats" at specific DNA marker locations. These
are known as "GATA or CA" repeats - hence GATTACA.
15, The icons used to denote a Valid versus an In-Valid have significant meaning. On the scanners, an infinity symbol
appears next a Valid's name, denoting their "infinite potential." Next to an In-Valid's name, a dagger appear. In
taxonomy, a dagger next to a taxon indicates extinction.